🇦🇪United Arab Emirates·National Animal
🦌Arabian Oryx
Extinct in the wild — then brought back.
The Arabian oryx was hunted to extinction in the wild by 1972. A captive breeding program — including animals kept by Sheikh Zayed of the UAE — began reintroducing them in the 1980s. Today over 1,000 live free in the Arabian Peninsula, and the species was downlisted from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2011.
Why this animal?
The Arabian oryx is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and the only large mammal to ever recover from Extinct in the Wild to Vulnerable. Its symbol of resilience made it the national animal of the UAE and the namesake of the country's national airline mascot.
Things to know
- ·Arabian oryx can detect rain from over 80 km away and migrate toward incoming storms to find fresh grass.
- ·Their white coat reflects desert sun; their black legs absorb morning warmth.
- ·Sheikh Zayed's private collection of oryx — kept on Sir Bani Yas Island — was central to the species' recovery.
- ·Folklore says the oryx is the source of the unicorn myth — viewed from the side, the two horns can appear as one.
- ·The 1972 extinction event was caused largely by motorized hunting from Land Rovers across the Empty Quarter.